LSHA: Gov's Board Blows Off County 5 & Discussion of Non-Binding Referendum to Dissolve the Authority
'We don't need to meet with you.'
July 10 2024 10:25 am | 6 min read
Gov's. Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board
listens to public comments on Monday evening.
Screenshot | Columbia County Observer graphic
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Monday evening, July 8, Gov. DeSantis' Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board blew off the County Commission (The 5, County 5), telling the folks who run the County, “We don’t need to meet with you,” after the County decided it wanted to put on the November ballot a non-binding referendum asking the voters if they thought the Lake Shore Hospital Authority should go away.
The Governor’s Authority Board has been illegally constituted and in violation of its charter since October 2020, when CHS bought out its lease and walked away, leaving the Lake Shore Hospital vacant.
Since
April of 1972, through all the incarnations of
legislation rewriting the LSHA Charter, the
legislature has mandated that one member of the
LSHA Board "shall be a physician engaged in the
practice of medicine at the Lake Shore
Hospital.” (emphasis added)
Since
2020, the Governor’s Board has blown through
over $3 mil, keeping its Lake Shore Hospital
and other property vacant, while at the same
time, its client base sunk to 16 clients. (see:
20240515-bm-link-link-link)
The Run-Up to “We don’t need to meet with you” began a few weeks ago on June 20.
On June 20, the County 5 held a workshop in which the Authority was discussed. This was when the non-binding resolution to dissolve the Authority was first discussed.
County
Manager David Kraus began the conversation:
“There’s been a lot of conversations lately
about what to do about the Lake Shore Hospital
Authority and what the County position is….
Whether we should work with the staff of the
Authority, the commissioners of the Authority,
or whether we should move forward and do a
referendum."
Mr. Kraus continued, “I was asked to place it on the agenda [by Commissioner Tim Murphy] just so we can kinda see what direction the County would like to go in.”
Chairman Ronald Williams said [abridged], “We no longer have a Lake Shore Hospital. It's been put out on the street. Nobody wanted it in a sense of speakin’, but we’ll are still taxin’ on our ad valorem taxes when send our trim notice, Lake Shore Hospital Authority, the taxes is there. ‘Well, do we still need that taxin’ authority?”
“We
know that one of the goals of the taxin’
Authority – The Lake Shore Taxin’ Authority – is
to take care of the indigent. We have to do that
by stature [sic]
The Lake Shore taxing authority was created by the legislature; was asked to be created by citizens of Columbia County to the legislature, and they made, created this Authority. [the citizens did not ask].”
“If we no longer need the Authority, can we put it on a referendum to see – let the voters decide – whether they want to keep the authority or abolish it?”
Commissioner Williams continued, “We cannot abolish it through a referendum, but if this, if the voters say, we want it abolished, then we send this back to the legislature and say the Board is – did a referendum. The referendum stated that we abolish the Lakeshore Hospital Authority and ask our legislator to take it through the process in Washington to disband this Authority.” [It would be Tallahassee, not Washington]
Rocky Ford said, “I guess what we're talking about here is put it on the ballot for the citizens of Columbia County to vote on a referendum to do away with Lakeshore Hospital Authority”
Commissioner Hollingsworth added, “That's really the only way you can do it. You gotta have the people decide.”
Commissioner
Murphy gave his stream-of-consciousness take, "I
reached out to Dale [Authority Manager Dale
Williams]… just like Ron said, the people ask
for that Authority be established for these
rural communities and what have you… we have got
to make the recommendation if we desire to do
so…. It's my understanding now that it sounds
like there's a, I had lunch today with a one of
the Masonic members, and sounds like all that
fixing to be water under the bridge. They get
their little check, and they give them a deed,
and Meridian steps in and starts bringin’ an
economic impact.”
Commissioner Ford said, “I understand the need to probably address this at some point, and now it's as good a time as any. We got elections. August first is the deadline to have a referendum presented to Tommy Brown [SOE], translated also in Spanish.”
Part-time Authority Manager Dale Williams came to the microphone: “If the public should decide that the Authority no longer provides a benefit to the citizens, and should you petition your legislative delegation, and they should decide to take it up, you're still probably looking at July of 2025 before that officially becomes law… So I think it's in both party's interest to meet and talk about, you know, what you're hearing.”
July 3: Next stop the County 5
On The 5’s docket, a request for a special meeting between the LSHA Gov’s. Board and The 5.
Community Activist Sylvester Warren commented: “I don't understand the meetin’ or the County interest... Now, all of a sudden, good old boy politics seem to be comin' into play as it relates to the Authority Board, which Dale have worked out deals and now is tryin' to wiggle himself out of with FMAU and some other folks... If there is interference with what Dale is tryin' to do -- and everybody's aware of what Dale is doin' -- and Dale is gonna have consequences for what he's doin', in due time.”
The motion for a joint meeting on July 15 was approved unanimously.
County Atty Joel Foreman said, “The Board of County Commissioners can put a referendum on the ballot if they want…. If the referendum passes, then we transmit that to our legislative delegation. They then carry that to Tallahassee.... it is the legislature's ultimate decision.”
Commissioner Murphy added, “There is $20 million sitting there servicing less than 20 people. That's what the constituents are fed up with.”
Chairman Williams said, “We all know what's goin' to happen if we do a referendum – it's goin' to be dissolved.
The final stop, Monday evening, July 8:
The LSHA Governor’s Illegally Constituted Board
Community
Activist Sylvester Warren made public comment.
He said he spoke to the commissioners (County),
and they said they were approached about having
a meeting, and that’s why they voted to have the
meeting. Warren said it was presented to
Commissioner Williams that “you all wanted to
meet.”
There is nothing in the record that supports Mr. Warren’s statement.
Mr. Warren continued, “Dale is serve a lot of masters and he likes to do the public art work.” … Do you mean to tell me that this Board did not ask them to meet?"
Barbara Lemley told the Board, “I met with [Rep.] Brannon, [Sen.] Bradley. I pushed for this Board to be dissolved.”
Erica Mayo told the Board, “There seems to be some behind-the-scenes conversation about this Board being dismantled… This meeting seems to be preplanned.”
Manager Williams said, “The reason it's on the agenda is for you [the Board] to decide whether you wish to meet with the Board of County Commissioners. I do not know how or why it was placed on the County Commissioners workshop agenda.
Governor’s
Board member Brandon Beil said, “I don't think
there is any reason to meet with the Board of
County Commissioners.”
Mr. Beil said he is in favor of writing a letter to Rep. Brannan and Sen. Bradley saying, "There's talk about it [dissolving the Authority] in Columbia County. Take it before the legislature."
Mr. Beil recommended what was recommended to Rep. Brannan three years ago: “Take the Authority assets and put them in a trust fund to provide indigent care.”
What’s Next?
Sen Bradley & Rep Brannan Came to Columbia
Cnty Everyday Citizens Voiced Their Concerns
On January 16, 2019, Barbara Lemley addressed Rep. Chuck Brannan and Sen. Rob Bradley about the waste and abuse at the LSHA and suggested that the legislature should abolish it.
Senator Bradley responded, “If you're asking me, on the senate side, to support a local bill that abolishes an agency in a county, my first question is, 'What do the local elected officials, the board of county commissioners, think about the matter?'"
The next meeting of the County 5 is July 18, 2024, at 5:30 pm. A lot of time for the backroom dealings for which Columbia County is famous.
Will the County 5 heed Senator Rob Bradley and be able to send a message to the legislature with the will of the people and the County 5?
The 5 can send that message by putting on the November ballot a non-binding referendum on the dissolving of the LSHA, something that many believe should have been done years ago.
Stay tuned.
